Pete and Myka: fifty things
by Insane. Certifiably
Summary: A collection of fifty prompts starring our favorite pair of Warehouse agents. Pyka.
1. prompts

**I do not own Warehouse 13.**

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><p>1- Subtle<br>They banter back and forth all the time, however Artie can read the things that remain unsaid.

2- Realization  
>The moment she realized she couldn't lose him was the moment she did.<p>

3- Directive  
>His note said not to come after him, but she couldn't help trying.<p>

4- Zero  
>"Not a chance," Myka retorted, shoving the plate of cookies away from herself.<p>

5- Shifting  
>Myka lost her balance as the floor tipped under her, clinging to her partner for support.<p>

6- Smooth  
>Pete liked to think of himself as something of a pick-up artist, but he doubted any of his tricks would work on her.<p>

7- Inaccuracy  
>She can always tell when he's leaving something out, she knows him that well.<p>

8- Fur  
>He still doesn't know what she named her ferret and if Myka has her way, he never will.<p>

9- Advocate  
>When they first transferred, he would have done anything to get his agent back, but seeing her now he's grateful he didn't.<p>

10- Man  
>He knows that it's necessary, but that doesn't stop his fingers from itching to strangle the guy every time he checks out Myka.<p>

11- Bullet  
>They're trained to take a bullet in the line of duty, and they would both willingly do so for their partner.<p>

12- Space  
>They don't seem to notice how much of the time they're in contact with each other.<p>

13- Gibberish  
>It sounds like complete nonsense coming out of his mouth after he accidentally tripped an Artifact, but somehow Myka still understands him.<p>

14- Split  
>Exasperated with Pete's whining, Myka gives him one of her Twizzlers.<p>

15- Midnight  
>It's touching, but that doesn't stop her from throwing a pillow at his head when he woke her up at 12:01 to wish her happy birthday.<p>

16- Overlap  
>They began to be true partners when Artie told them both that they were in charge.<p>

17- Stunt  
>"Don't do that again, alright? You had me worried" she told him, hovering over the hospital bed.<p>

18- Set  
>Pete grinned and rubbed his hands together in anticipation, staring fixedly at the door that Myka was about to walk through.<p>

19- Activating  
>"Pete, no!" she yelled, lunging a second too late to stop him from turning on the Artifact in his hands.<p>

20- Effectiveness  
>They're both good at what they do, put them together and they do even better.<p>

21- Combining  
>When you put two such strong-willed people together, it's inevitable that they'll explode in some way or another.<p>

22- Lightning  
>Myka will never, ever admit it, but she jumped the first time the Tesla went off.<p>

23- Research  
>He's always avoided the library, being more of a comic book guy, but somehow she manages to get him to pick up a book.<p>

24- Staircase  
>It was a habit of hers to sit halfway up the stairs, so she could keep tabs on the whole house.<p>

25- Return  
>The pain of her departure was nothing compared to the joy he felt when she came back.<p>

26- Domain  
>Pete felt out of place among all the books, but he pressed on, determined to find his partner.<p>

27- Museum  
>"Who would want to look at any of this?" he asked, pointing to an exhibit.<p>

28- Killing  
>She looks into those eyes, so like Christina's, and just can't pull the trigger.<p>

29- Familiarity  
>They know each other better than anyone else.<p>

30- Costume  
>Myka had to fight back a laugh when Pete's face fell at the side effects of the superhero getup.<p>

31- Outcome  
>They make it a point never to let arguments drag on, with this job, you never know if a mission will be your last.<p>

32- Demonstration  
>He did not expect to see <em>that<em> when he came to the Warehouse.

33- Thick  
>They swore they'd always be there for each other, and they keep that promise.<p>

34- Haste  
>His fingers fumbled with the ropes as he tried to get her untied, scrambling to get her free before their captor returned.<p>

35- Laggard  
>Myka shook her head as her partner took off running, yelling after him that she wasn't racing.<p>

36- Holiday  
>Christmas hadn't held much joy for her for a long time, but being at the Warehouse had changed all that.<p>

37- Toasting  
>It was Claudia's idea to have a campfire in the backyard, for some reason Artie allowed it, and Pete fell asleep with his head on her shoulder halfway through his fourth s'more.<p>

38- Third  
>Sometimes, Jinx feels like a extra wheel when he tags along on missions.<p>

39- Confiscation  
>Myka found his weak point very quickly; all she needs to do is threaten to take away his cookies.<p>

40- Reliance  
>He constantly found himself turning to ask a question of a person who was no longer there while she was gone.<p>

41- Unveiling  
>His jaw drops when his partner walked down the stairs in that short red dress.<p>

42- Hairdo  
>Myka somehow manages to keep a straight face when Pete walks in with purple hair.<p>

43- Luck  
>Pete was skeptical when he found out about his new assignment, but now he thinks it's the best thing that happened to him.<p>

44- Glowing  
>"Dudes, you're glowing," Claudia remarked, looking back and forth between them.<p>

45- Disproved  
>"Never rule anything out" is Artie's golden rule, but she never thought it would apply to her.<p>

46- Soothe  
>Pete insisted that cookies and milk helped him sleep when the occasional bought of insomnia plagued him.<p>

47- Reverse  
>Her world has turned completely on its head since she was brought into the Warehouse.<p>

48- Pool  
>The only bright side about being shoved into the water is that Pete gave her his jacket.<p>

49- Escalating  
>Myka ran through the Warehouse, glancing back over her shoulder for her pursuer, wondering when a routine day had turned into this.<p>

50- Confound  
>It makes no sense, how well they work together when they're so different.<p>

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><p><strong>You like? I'm going to extend each prompt into a oneshot, so more to come.<br>**


	2. Subtle

**1- Subtle**  
><strong> They banter back and forth all the time, however Artie can read the things that remain unsaid.<strong>

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><p>Artie Neilson has worked with a lot of agents. However, he hasn't understood any of them as well as he understands Pete Latimer and Myka Bering. And Claudia, of course.<p>

They tend to vary off topic, far more than he'd like and they don't always get along, but that's sometimes better than when they do (as evidenced by the time they told him his car had blown up). But he can usually tell what they're saying, even when they don't actually say it.

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><p>"Myka?" Pete called, poking his head around the door.<p>

His partner grunted without looking up and Artie stopped typing and started what Claudia called "shamelessly eavesdropping. He called it "making sure his agents were alright".

While they were on a mission this morning, Pete had accidentally triggered the Artifact they were looking for. Myka ended up spending about an hour dangling at the height of a thirty story building while they looked for a way to get her down without turning her into a Myka-pancake in the process.

She still hadn't forgiven Pete.

"Myka?" Pete repeated, and this time she looked up.

"What, Pete?" she sighed.

"I have cookies," he said, stepping around the door to the office. "Sugar-free, and everything." He carefully set the plate down on her desk, then stepped back and stood with his hands at his sides, waiting.

Myka finished the sheet of paperwork she was working on before she looked up at her partner.

"You're a child," she burst out, "a child who can't keep his hands off anything. An immature, goofy…"

"Person who brought you cookies?" Pete suggested. He had to duck as one of those cookies went flying through the air into the space his head had occupied only a second earlier.

"You would waste something as delicious as a cookie?" he asked with a hurt gasp when he popped back up. Myka retorted with something, but Artie had turned his attention back to his computer, wondering if he could steal one of the cookies without anyone noticing.

They'd be fine.

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><p><strong>49 to go<strong>


	3. Realization

**2- Realization**  
><strong>The moment she realizes she can't lose him is the moment she does.<strong>

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><p>She's lost a partner before. She knows the heart-wrenching feeling that accompanies the moment when their eyes drift shut and they huff out a final breath.<p>

She was there when Sam died.

And if she doesn't do something quickly, she's going to feel it again. Only this time it's going to be worse, because it's Pete. She loved Sam, but she can't imagine life without Pete and his stupid inappropriate jokes and his obsession with cookies and all those other things that make him uniquely _him_.

Her feet are rooted to the floor, body frozen in shock. She would do anything for him, anything but the one thing he's asking her to do. She can't pick up those paddles and electrocute her partner, not even when he looks at her with those eyes, usually filled with warmth, that now show nothing but anger and desperation.

She's seen how the Spine victims died. It was long and slow and torturous. They went until their bodies gave out beneath them, but she can't help him die, she just can't. Not even to save him.

Luckily, or unluckily as a small part or her says, Rebecca is there to pick up the slack. The other woman strides forward and calmly fastens the implements to the Artifact, while all she can do is stand and watch. Watch and promise her partner that she'll fix this.

She's not sure how she can do that, but she'll find a way.

Myka Bering will not lose another partner.

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><p><strong>48<strong>


	4. Directive

**3- Directive**  
><strong>His note said not to come after him, but she couldn't help trying.<strong>

* * *

><p>Myka was beginning to worry. When Pete had first disappeared, she'd thought he'd just gone to clear to his head and she'd be alerted soon enough when one of the Artifacts exploded or something equally dramatic. When he hadn't shown up for lunch, she knew something was up.<p>

When she went to check his room, she didn't find her partner, but she did find a note taped to the wall. It told her not to chase him and to watch their backs.

Artie immediately ordered her back to the museum where his weird behavior had started to look for something that could be an Artifact. She took him through a tour and he stopped her at the telegraph her partner had played with.

Myka dialed a number she knew by heart and pressed the device to her ear, praying the man on the other end would pick up. To her relief he did and responded when she begged him to hear her. She gooed the Artifact, but then Pete went off a ledge, shutting her out and addressing her as Valda.

"Pete?" she begged "please hear me."

But he didn't, telling 'Valda' that if the reagent had touched them, he would hurt him.

"I don't know how to reach you," Myka said weakly, then shook herself out of it. She had to be strong now and not let her guard down.

She only relaxed when they were both safely back at the B&B and Pete was being his ridiculous self, laughing about a video anyone else would have found deathly embarrassing. She grinned at his antics and knew that it would be alright, as long as they had each other to lean on.

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><p><strong>I know these first few chapter are kind of short, but never fear. Longer chapter are in the works.<strong>

**47.**


	5. Shifting

**AN: Slight spoilers for Love Sick. In case you haven't yet watched that, Pete and Myka call Jinx "Mr. Poopy Pants" while they're under the Artifact's influence.**

**5- Shifting**  
><strong>Myka lost her balance as the floor tipped under her, clinging to her partner for support.<strong>

* * *

><p>Myka swayed unsteadily on her feet and nearly fell over, stopped only by the semi-solid arm of her partner, who was as wavy as she was.<p>

She giggled at the effect and looked up at him. "Pete," the ease with which his name slipped out contrasted with the difficulty she had articulating anything else, "Do you think Mr. Poopy Pants was right? Are we drunk?"

"Nah," he said, "I don't drink. Any more. Besides, if I was drunk I would..." the rest of his sentence was cut off as they staggered sideways again, snickering like it was the funniest joke in the world.

Myka giggled again as they swayed all over the aisle, her unnaturally blonde hair getting in her eyes. Pete slowly raised a hand and pushed it back behind her ear.

"I like it better when it's not all... bright," he admitted sluggishly, "it's just not you."

The agent shook her head from side to side, mesmerized by the Artifact-effected strands flying past her vision. "Me too," she replied. A moment of seriousness flowed past the haze of confusion and silliness they were under and she fixed him with those bright eyes. "Pete, what would you do?" she asked.

"When?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Just now," his partner replied, "you said if you were drunk you'd do...something."

"Oh that," said Pete, "yeah, I'd kiss you."

"You would?" she asked, wide-eyed, "why don't you?"

"Because you'd regret it when we weren't drunk any more and because we need to go save Mr. Poopy Pants!" he yelled the last part of the sentence, trying to charge heroically off in the direction of Artie's office, but only succeeding in going the exact wrong direction and and falling flat on his face.

Myka bent over double laughing at his spectacular fail before helping him to his feet. She linked arms with him and they began to stagger once more in search of Artie's toothbrush so they could save Mr. Poopy Pants.

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><p><strong>Just a little conversation between the bronze sector and Artie's office.<strong>

**45 to go.**


	6. Zero

**AN: So, I got a review for chapter five and there was this short moment of "whaaaaat?" before I burst out laughing at my own sheer stupidity. Here's the correct chapter five. I won't be rearranging them so these two will just be out of order.  
><strong>

**4- Zero**  
><strong>"Not a chance," Myka retorted, shoving the plate of cookies away from herself.<strong>

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><p>Myka doesn't eat sugar. That was one of the first things Pete learned about his new partner.<p>

So, in true Pete fashion, he made it his quest to reintroduce her to the wonders of sugar. Specifically, cookies.

After a successful retrieval, he would steal some cookies from the kitchen, where Leena always seemed to have a fresh batch and try to tempt her.

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><p>"Hey Myka," he greeted, bouncing into the room and flopping down on the couch where his partner had her nose stuck in a book.<p>

She only grunted, lost in the world of whatever she was reading today

"Myka," he repeated, and she sighed and, marking her place, looked up at him.

"Yes, Pete?" she asked.

"Cookie?" he offered, holding out one of the fresh oatmeal cookies. They weren't his favorite, but he figured she was more likely to take a 'healthy' oatmeal cookies than a chocolate chip one.

Myka shook her head and started to turn back to her book.

"Just one?" he persuaded, "Leena just cooked them this morning."

"Baked," she corrected absentmindedly.

"Baked, cooked, what's the difference?"

"You bake cookies, you cook meat," the brunette explained, not even glancing up from the page.

Pete made a face and held out the cookie again. "Well, would you like a fresh-_baked_ cookie then?"

"Not today," was her reply. And she turned the page, immersing herself once more in her book.

* * *

><p>Undeterred, Pete continued trying to get her accept a cookie, even resorting once or twice to asking Leena to bake them sugar-free. Sometimes, she caved with those and he was rewarded with the sight of her nibbling on one while she went back to whatever task she'd been doing.<p>

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><p>"I'm back," Pete sing-songed, "and I brought cookies!" He held up the plate Leena had given him and shook it slightly.<p>

"Did she say I could have any?" Artie asked hopefully, spinning around in his chair to face the agent.

"You are supposed to be on a diet," Claudia said sternly.

"I'll let you take Steven McQueen's motorcycle around the Warehouse," he bribed.

"Deal." The teen popped up from her computer, snagged one of the cookies as she walked past and headed out.

"I didn't mean right now!" their boss called after her, but Claudia was either out of earshot or choosing to ignore him. He sighed and went after the tech, copying her motion of stealing a cookie as he went out.

"Myka, I have cookies," Pete persuaded, "Leena even made some sugar-free."

"Fine," she sighed, "one."

After telling her which ones were sugar-less and taking a few for himself, he left the plate on her desk. By the end of the day, all the sugar-free ones had disappeared, without Myka even seeming to notice what she was doing.

* * *

><p>Try as he might though, he never could persuade her to accept a chocolate one. In the end though, he didn't have to.<p>

* * *

><p>They were sitting on the couch at the B&amp;B, Myka leaning her head on his shoulder. They'd both been inches away from having their brains melted and she needed to reassure herself that he was still there.<p>

"I made cookies," Leena informed the room, carrying in a plate.

"What sort?" Claudia asked from where she was crouched over some gadget or other.

Artie just looked up hopefully, and Leena merely glared at him until he went back to what he'd been doing. To Claudia she replied that they were chocolate chip.

The plate was set on the table near to Pete, who immediately snatched one up and started bothering Claudia once more.

To his surprise, when he went to take a bite of his cookie, his hand was empty. He stared at his palm in confusion and picked up another, only to have that one disappear the moment he turned his attention away from it.

Pete blinked several times, then surveyed the room. Claudia was tinkering away, pausing every so often to lean over and snatch one of the doughy circles. Artie was in his armchair, eying the cookies whenever he thought Leena wasn't looking. The keeper of the B&B was perched at the other end of the couch, pretending not to notice.

Myka, even if she did eat sugar, seemed to be half-asleep against his shoulder.

Puzzled, he grabbed another and turned to ask Leena about Myka's ferret. It had gotten into his room and he didn't know what to call it. She answered that Myka would take care of her pet and when he turned his attention back to his cookie it was gone.

"Claud?" he asked, "Are you stealing my cookies?"

"Don't need to," she replied, not bothering to look up, "I've got my own." She waved the half-eaten object in question at him and took another bite.

"Don't get crumbs in the wiring!" Artie exclaimed.

"Relax geezer, this is simple. I would have to try in order to mess it up."

Pete shrugged, jostling his partner. She mumbled a protest and squirmed a little, getting comfortable again. One hand went out and got anther cookie, only this time he watched it out of the corner of his eye.

Myka snuck a hand out and carefully extricated the cookie from his grip, so gently he wouldn't have noticed if his attention hadn't been focused on it. In one quick motion, Pete shifted so her head ended up in his lap. She looked guiltily up at him, part of the cookie clutched in one hand.

"Myka," he said, "why are you stealing my cookies?"

She turned bright red and swallowed before replying. "Because uh... it was there?"

"I would have given you one, you know," Pete told her.

"I know," his partner answered.

The agent relaxed against the cushions and snatched a cookie for himself. He pretended not to notice that Myka made no move to get her head out of his lap and let her steal his cookie.

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><p><strong>Who wants a cookie now? What kind of cookie?<br>**

**46.**


	7. Smooth

**6- Smooth  
>Pete liked to think of himself as something of a pick-up artist, but he doubted any of his tricks would work on her.<strong>

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><p>It's amazing, the effect persistence, tenacity, and, of course, a well placed pick-up line will have.<p>

Pete can testify to all of the above. Having a badge and/or handcuffs doesn't hurt either.

For some reason, he's never tried any of his tricks on Myka. It's not that he thinks she's gorgeous, or wonders what it would be like to kiss her, or wishes he could hold her when she looks drained, or anything like that, because he doesn't. He attributes it to the fact that she hits him a lot, and she's bossy, and she gets his jokes, and she's, well, Myka...

Kelly, he had absolutely no problem chasing. She was pretty and seemed to hate him. A challenge. So he chased her and, due in no small part to those three qualities, won her.

But for some reason, he couldn't chase Myka. Even though she was just as pretty as Kelly and even more of a challenge.

Every other girl was fair game. Myka would roll her eyes and scoff at him when he did so, but that might be part of why he did it. She noticed and responded.

He told himself that it was because she was mad at him for wasting time. He didn't dare hope it was because she was jealous because then he might fall for her.

Maybe that was the reason he couldn't, didn't, chase Myka. He couldn't dare fall for his partner.

And it didn't help that he'd seen her in a backless purple dress.

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><p><strong>44.<strong>


	8. Inaccuracy

**AN: Sorry for the long gap. This chapter was both ridiculously easy and absurdly hard to write. Mrs. Fredrick wanted to be extremely mysterious, but I had trouble maintaining the correct balance of mystery and understandability.  
><strong>

**7- Inaccuracy**  
><strong>She can always tell when he's leaving something out, she knows him that well.<strong>

* * *

><p>Mrs. Fredrick likes having all the information. If she had a job description, that would be in it. And she doesn't have to be the "human lie detector" to tell when someone is not giving her all the details.<p>

* * *

><p>"Arthur," she greeted.<p>

The agent nearly jumped out of his skin and spun on his swivel chair to face her. "Mrs. Fredrick, h-how are you today?" he spluttered.

"Where are your agents?" she asked, cutting him off.

"Claudia and Jinks are in Boston," he said quickly, a hint of relief in his tone, "recovering an Artifact."

"And Pete and Myka?" the overseer inquired.

"I sent them down to do inventory," he replied.

"Artie, what are they doing?" she asked in arctic tones.

He muttered something that she couldn't hear. Realizing she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him, she sighed and closed her eyes, letting her sense of the warehouse take over. It was fairly easy to hone in on human disturbances within the building.

There was one and a sort in the office. That was Artie and herself. There were many muted ones in the bronze sector, but she was looking for two that burned brilliantly. Finally she located them, one bright spot running full pelt down an aisle, the other hot on its heels. The agents reached a corner and skidded around it, feet sliding as they stumbled away from whatever they seemed to think was chasing them.

"Tell me, why are they running through the Warehouse like it is a playground?" Mrs. Fredrick asked, returning to herself.

"Myka was affected by an Artifact belonging to Jonathon Crane," he explained, "it"

"Makes you believe your greatest fear has come to haunt you, yes," she interrupted, "but that does not explain why Pete is also running for his life."

"I have no idea," Artie said, "Myka was affected, looked over her shoulder, then the pair of them took off like wolves were snapping at their heels."

"There is no chance that he was also affected?"

"No, I've been over the footage from and he was standing too far away," he assured her, turning back to his computer. "I've been trying to find information on when it wears off, but the results don't match. If we assume that Pete was also affected, then it should have worn off five minutes ago. Since it hasn't, only Myka is affected, and I still have no idea why the both of them are running like scared rabbits. I've never seen anything like it."

Mrs. Fredrick sighed and closed her eyes once more. She could, with effort, read the auras of those connected with the Warehouse. She wasn't as good as Leena, but she could do it passably.

There was Myka, a silvery-grey, sharp at the edges and clouded over with fear. Pete was a steady orange smudge, clouded with the same fear.

Wait. The same fear? That wasn't possible. Each person processed things differently, so even if two people watched the exact same event standing side by side, they would experience it and their brains would process it in unique ways. No two people could feel the exact same fear, it simply wasn't possible. But then again, this was the Warehouse, where they dealt in the impossible every day.

"They seem to be experiencing the same fear," she reported, not bothering to open her eyes.

"That means they must have both been affected, but then the time line doesn't match, so that's a dead end," Artie continued to mumble to himself.

"Arthur!" she barked, voice echoing through the room. He turned to face her and she continued what she had been saying. "They are experiencing the exact same fear," she said, carefully enunciating every syllable.

The agent looked as surprised as she felt, only she hadn't shown it as he did. "You're sure?" he asked.

The Warehouse overseer merely raised an eyebrow at him. Artie turned back to his computer for an instant as it beeped with the latest parameters he'd out in. She vanished while his attention was elsewhere, shifting herself somewhere better suited for dealing with the situation at hand.

It was quiet obvious to her that nothing she could do would calm Pete and Myka down any faster than merely letting them tire themselves out would. Therefore, she was unsurprised to find herself in the bed and breakfast where the Warehouse agents stayed and also where Leena was.

The aura reader jumped when she turned around, not expecting anyone else to be in the building for a while.

"Mrs. Fredrick," she gasped, "you scared me."

"You are needed at the Warehouse," was her only reply, "there is a situation that requires your particular skill set."

Leena nodded and went to get her keys and Mrs. Fredrick took the opportunity to vanish once more.

* * *

><p>It was small. A hand on Myka's knee when she nearly bolted out of her skin at a perfectly harmless creak in the floor. A touch to Pete's shoulder when he practically gave himself whiplash trying to locate the movement as Artie shuffled through papers. Reassuring each other, even as they themselves needed reassuring. They probably didn't even realize they were doing it.<p>

Leena found it fascinating. She was staring through the window at the pair, observing them. It had taken the better part of an hour for them to calm down enough that they could be ushered into the office.

"Fascinating," the aura reader murmured. It was the first she'd spoken since Artie had explained the situation to her.

"What is it?" she asked, ignoring Artie's noncommittal grunt.. The senior agent was still a bit miffed at losing his office, even though it was temporary, but they'd agreed that this was the best place to keep the agents while the last of the Artifact's influences wore off.

"They're connected," Leena explained, "on the surface, they're still Pete and Myka, but as you dig deeper, they begin to overlap. They're starting to share experiences, eventually they'll share feelings and possibly even thoughts in time. I can't believe I missed it"

"Missed what?" Artie asked, "what is it and which Artifact did it?"

"No Artifact is responsible for this," the aura reader said, a tone of wonder in her voice, "possibly being around the Warehouse cause it to develop faster, but this is natural thing." She turned away from the window to face them. "Their souls are starting to merge. It's rare and beautiful, what most of the world refers to as 'soul mates'."

"You're saying my agents have fallen for each other," Mrs. Fredrick clarified.

the reader shook her head. "Not on a mental or emotional level yet, but a spiritual one, yes. If they continue on their current course, the only predicable outcome will be that they will fall in love. Even at this stage, being permanently separated would be painful because their souls would always remember how it was to be joined to another."

"Will it affect their work?" the overseer asked.

Leena nodded. "They'll be able to communicate better, but there will be times when they won't know what to think or who's thinking what and they'll try to shut the other out, which will only make things worse."

Mrs. Fredrick sighed. Another complication, as if her life didn't have plenty as it was. She glanced back through the window at the agents perched on the edge of the couch, debating what to do with them. Myka twitched at some little noise and Pete put a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and nodded thanks, relaxing slightly.

On the other hand, maybe this would work out to their advantage. She would just have to wait and see.

* * *

><p><strong>43.<strong>


	9. Fur

**Completely revamped- 10/16/12  
><strong>

**8- Fur  
><strong>**He still doesn't know what she named her ferret and if Myka has her way, he never will.**

* * *

><p>"Myka!" Artie's voice thundered down the stairs, "It's in my room again!"<p>

The curly-haired agent sighed and set her book down before standing up. She knew exactly what he meant by 'it'. No matter what sort of cage she put him in, her ferret still managed to escape at least once a month.

"Are you ever going to name that thing?" Pete asked without looking at her. He and Claudia were engaged in a battle to the death on some video game and he was desperately trying to prevent his little pixel people from dying yet another horrible death. "I mean, everyone just calls it Ferret and it seems unfair- oh no you don't!-" he yanked the controller to the side, diving away from Claudia's character, "to the little guy not to have a name," he finished.

Myka took a moment to smile inwardly at her partner's childish enthusiasm. "How do you know his name isn't Ferret?" she asked.

"Ferret is a horrible name," Claudia put in, with no pause in mashing buttons.

"Myka!" Artie called again, with even less patience.

Myka sighed and mounted the stairs to find Artie lurking outside his bedroom, glaring in. "When I agreed to let you keep it, I did not think it would keep finding its way into my room," he snapped.

"Maybe he's found your secret stash of cookies," she suggested, entering the room to crouch down next to the bed. Artie grumbled and turned away.

"Pete," she called softly, lifting the edge of the cover to peer under.

A small motion caught her eye, and with a practiced hand, she scooped up her wayward pet, lifting him to perch on her shoulder. His small claws caught on the fabric of her sweater and he clung there, clucking happily at the attention.

"How did you get out this time?" she asked, exasperated.

Pete clucked, butting against her chin, drawing out a smile. He really was as adorable as his namesake, though she would never admit anything like that aloud.

"Try to make sure it doesn't happen again," Artie said exasperatedly, trudging downstairs after firmly shutting the door.

Myka followed the senior agent back downstairs and reclaimed her spot on the end of the couch while Pete made himself comfortable across her shoulders as a makeshift scarf.

The other Pete, human Pete, having passed his controller to HG (who was losing badly), flopped down next to her.

"What's its name?" he pestered, reaching out one hand to try and pet Pete's head. Pete made an angry noise at his namesake and scurried down the arm of the couch. Myka smiled at the antics of both as her partner tried to imitate her pet's angry noise back at him.

"You're as annoying as him sometimes," she murmured absentmindedly to the animal, already searching for her place in the book she'd set down.

However, the one time she didn't want her partner to hear something was the one time he did. "Annoying as who?" he questioned.

"There was this boy I used to know," Myka explained, "So annoying, but kinda cute too."

She was saved from further explanations by the newest (though technically oldest, as Pete liked to tease her and Claudia liked to contest) member of the team. "What is that?" HG interrupted.

"It's a ferret," the agent explained.

HG passed off the controller to Leena (who promptly began beating Claudia) and leaned forward to examine him more closely.

Pete made the angry noise again, retreating back into the space between his owner's arm and her side until all that was left of him was a nose and a pair of bright eyes.

It took them both fifteen minutes to persuade the ferret to go anywhere near HG, during which time Claudia and Pete together couldn't beat Leena, so the tech declared it a hopeless cause and went upstairs to bed. But once he warmed up to the older woman, he was so affectionate that her partner would have joked that she was being replaced.

"He's adorable" HG asked, stroking the little creature who was nodding off in her arms, "what's his name?"

Since her partner had gone to bed for the night, she felt safe enough to answer. "Pete."

The inventor raised a knowing, questioning, eyebrow as a smug smile wound its way across her face.

Myka buried her nose in her book once more.

* * *

><p><strong>42.<strong>


	10. Advocate

**AN: Set somewhere between Implosion and Vendetta.**

**9- Advocate**  
><strong>When they first transferred, he would have done anything to get his agent back, but seeing her now he's grateful he didn't.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Hello," said a voice. Dickinson looked up to find Agent Myka Bering standing next to his table.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Dickinson asked, gesturing for her to take a seat.

"You asked us to let give you some warning when we went tramping through your backyard," she replied, "this is your warning."

He took a sip of his coffee to cover the pause in the conversation. Was that a joke? The Agent Bering he'd worked with tolerated no nonsense, and she didn't crack jokes. He surveyed the agent over the rim of his cup. She seemed, happier, more relaxed than she'd ever been when she worked in the DC office.

"What is it you do now, exactly ?" he asked. He didn't really expect a proper answer, all the red tape and redacted papers he ran into while trying to find out her new assignment had been answer enough. He'd still like his bright agents back, but it wasn't worth the hassle trying to get through all the bureaucracy, plus the lady who showed up in his office when he dug too far was scary.

Sure enough the next words out of her mouth are "That's confidential."

"Whatever it is, it agrees with you," he remarked, "you look... different."

"It's never boring," Bering agreed, "but it's fun, in a crazy way."

Another sip of coffee. "So what brings you to DC? I thought you were assigned to the middle of nowhere."

"I am, we're working a case."

"So Lattimer is here as well?" asked Dickinson.

"Yeah, Pete is just checking something. I had some time and decided to give you a heads up, so you have a little warning in case we end up breaking into another embassy," the agent explained.

His eyebrows raised. That was diffidently a joke. And she called her partner by his first name.

"Myka!"

The person in question raised her head, looking for the source of the voice. A smile crossed her features when she found it and she stood.

"I have to go," she apologized, "it was nice catching up."

Dickinson nodded and watched her walk off, curious as to who was calling her. Lattimer was waiting outside the little cafe where he sat. Bering said something and her partner slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked, squeezing in a sort of one-armed hug.

The senior agent smiled and took another sip. He had been surprised and slightly annoyed someone would steal his agents without consulting him when she'd gone to South Dakota. But something, or someone, there must have been good for her, based on the way she's smiling at her new partner.

He never thought he'd be glad for red tape.

* * *

><p><strong>41<strong>


	11. Man

**10- Man**  
><strong>He knows that it's necessary, but that doesn't stop his fingers from itching to strangle the guy every time he checks out Myka.<strong>

* * *

><p>Pete officially hates this assignment. They're chasing down an Artifact that makes people into mindless slaves of the holder. Four women have been affected thus far and all four are in comas with little to no chance of ever waking up.<p>

But horrible as it is, that's not why this is quickly becoming his least favorite assignment. They have no idea what this thing is, so they need to trick him and find out. If they went up and flashed badges, he'd spook and they'd lose him, so the only way is for this guy to get another 'date'.

Luckily, Myka matches his type, so she shimmied into a black dress that took Pete's breath away and paraded into the restaurant where he's waiting for his 'blind date'.

* * *

><p>Myka officially hates this assignment. Four women have already fallen prey to this creep, and now she has to play bait. She'd packed a black dress just in case when she got the details of the case, that doesn't mean she likes it.<p>

She sat across from this guy. She ought to remember his name, but it went straight over her head. Pete's sitting at the bar, nursing some non-alcoholic drink and watching them with such ferocity she's half-surprised that he isn't boring holes in the back of this guy's head.

Her 'date' made some remark that she didn't catch, so she flipped her eyes back to him and flashed a smile.

"Sorry, what was that?" she asked.

He repeated his remark and she laughed at his joke, mentally rolling her eyes. He seems incapable of talking about anything but himself, and she's desperate to find the Artifact and get out of here, but she has to buy more time for Claudia to finish searching his place.

Over her date's shoulder she saw Pete pull out his cell phone and press it to his ear. He talked for a moment, then closed it and caught her eye. Her partner shook his head, and it took all her Secret Service training not to slump in disappointment. They'd been hoping he left the thing at his apartment, then she could slip away 'to the bathroom' and ditch him.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.

Myka decided in a split second to up the game. "Oh, just wishing we were alone," she said, almost dreamily. It was hard not to gag over the words.

A peculiar expression crossed the suspect's face and he signaled to the waiter. "That can be arranged, my dear," he said, in what he thinks is a smooth tone.

The agent spared him a smile. The business of finding the waiter and getting the check took only a matter of minutes, they'd been almost done with their meals anyway and far too fast for her liking, they're on their way out the door.

He offered his arm, and much as she doesn't want to touch this creep, she has to take it or alert him to what's going on. They walked through the parking lot, winding toward where he left his car. When they arrive, she had only a second to react before he pushed her against the cool metal and tried to kiss her.

This time, she can't suppress the shudder of disgust that goes through her at his touch. He backed up a step and looked at her curiously.

"Something wrong, my dear?" he asked.

"I think this was a mistake," Myka said, "I can't."

"Don't be ridiculous," he said matter-of factly, "It will all be over soon." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black device. He depressed a button and the end lit up with electricity. "Pity it doesn't work unless they're unconscious," he remarked.

She reached for her gun, intending to blow a hole in him, but he moved too quickly and she just had time to scream before the taser met her neck.

* * *

><p>Pete knew something was up when the suspect signaled for a waiter. He paid for his drink and followed, at a discreet distance when they left the restaurant. They wound through the parking lot toward the guy's car, Pete carefully following.<p>

It took everything he has not to immediately jump out and tesla the guy when he kissed Myka. She shoved him away and started babbling excuses, but he brushed them aside, pulling out a taser. His partner only had time to scream before she was unconscious.

The guy chuckled and put the weapon away. He crouched down and pulled off a ring on his right hand.

"Pity you wouldn't be cooperative, then I wouldn't have to resort to such extreme measures," he informed the fallen agent, reaching toward her with the bit of jewelry.

"Pity you're such a creep, then you wouldn't be going to jail," Pete retorted. He pulled the trigger, sending lightning arcing into the guy and taking satisfaction in the look of surprise etched into his face.

The ring rolled across the pavement, and Pete pulled out a pair of purple gloves before carefully dropping it into a neutralizing bag. Sparks flew everywhere, but he barely noticed, dropping to his knees beside Myka and gently shaking her shoulders.

"Myka," he said softly, "Myka, wake up."

* * *

><p>"Myka wake up," she heard Pete's voice dimly, through a fog that blanketed her.<p>

"Myka," he repeated. Slowly, she blinked open her eyes, to be greeted with Pete's face hovering above her, worried expression blanketing his usually goofy features.

"I'm here," she said groggily.

"Myka!" he sighed, but this time relief painted his voice. She blinked a few times to clear the last of the fog from her head and slowly sat up.

"Are you all right?" Did he get you?" Pete asked quickly, worry predominate again as he helped her to her feet.

Myka didn't say anything, just stepped forward, closing the space between them and hugged him. Pete returned the embrace, holding her tightly, soothing her.

"I was scared," she admitted quietly, "it's silly, I can look after myself, but I was scared."

"Myka, there was nothing you could do," he murmured into her ear, "he surprised you."

They stayed like that, neither wanting to move, until footsteps sounded toward them and they grudgingly broke apart, stepping back.

"What'd I miss?" Claudia asked, taking in everything.

"Oh, nothing much," Pete replied, "just me saving the day."

Claudia looked between them, looking skeptically, as if she thought there was more than they were telling her. "Did you get the Artifact?"

Pete held up the bag containing the ring. "One Artifact, snagged, tagged, and bagged."

"Are you sure that's all you got?" the tech asked.

The partners shared a confused glance. "Yes, Claud, we're sure. Why?" Myka inquired.

"You've got a mark on your neck, here," she indicated the location on her own.

One hand flew up to cover the spot. "It's not what it looks like!" Myka exclaimed.

"Of course," Claudia said disbelievingly.

"He tasered her," Pete insisted.

"Um hm."

"Really!"

* * *

><p><strong>40.<strong>


	12. Bullet

**Sorry for the delay.**

**11- Bullet**  
><strong>They're trained to take a bullet in the line of duty, and they would both willingly do so for their partner.<strong>

* * *

><p>His attention was slightly preoccupied with the Artifact in his hands that was trying to control him, but he didn't miss when the thing's former owner pulled out a gun.<p>

"I need that back!" the man yelled, leveling the weapon at his head. The man had been perfectly pleasant until they'd found and tried to bag the Artifact, only to realize that this thing needed to be 'mastered' before it would let anyone do anything to or with it. Pete had been unfortunate enough to be the one who picked it up, so he was rooted to the spot until it either lets him use it or takes over his mind.

There was nothing he could do without conceding the battle in his head, so he couldn't protest when Myka stepped between him and the weapon.

"Move!" the crazed man screeched, gesturing with the weapon.

"Pete?" Myka called, questioning how much more time he needs.

"Almost," he managed to force out.

"I need it back!" the man yelled, practically foaming at the mouth, "Give it back!"

"Put the gun down," Myka said, using the soothing tone of voice that she saved for talking people down, "it's dangerous. We're going to take it somewhere where it can't hurt anyone. You'll get over the addicting effects, I just need to you to put the gun down."

"No, I'm not going to talk about this! It's coming back with me or I'll put a bullet in you!" he threatened, "So get out of my way!"

"I can't do that," she replied calmly. Her gun was currently on the other side of the room, so she couldn't simply shoot him.

Seeing she wasn't going to move, the man jerked the trigger back. The shot echoed throughout the room and Myka went down.

"No!" Pete yelled. Something tripped inside his mind and the Artifact yielded. It and he reached out and tore the gun from the man, sending it flying across the room. This ball in his hands allowed control over the immediate environment, so he exercised it.

He sent the man flying across the room and raced to his partner, falling to his knees at her side.

"Myka," he pleaded, "please don't be dead." Somewhere in the back of his mind, he registered that this is what Myka must have felt when the Spine attached itself to him, but the rest of him turned off that little rational part.

"Myka," he repeated, fingers searching desperately for a pulse as he applied pressure. The bloodstain on her front was far too large for his liking, but his head dropped in relief when he found the pulse flowing through her wrist.

About half an hour, several sirens, a confession, and a hospital trip later, Myka was released with the caution to 'take it easy' for a while. The bullet had missed any major arteries, but she'd passed out from blood loss and wasn't supposed to do anything strenuous. She hadn't asked them to clarify what she could and couldn't do, seeing as simply being in the Warehouse probably qualified as 'strenuous'.

Pete was waiting in the hall. Since he wasn't family, they hadn't let him into the room. As soon as she stepped out, he pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"You scared me," he admitted, "don't do that again, alright?"

Myka nodded, but inside, she knew that she would do it again in a heartbeat. The pain of a lead slug was nothing compared to the pain of losing him.

* * *

><p><strong>39<strong>


	13. Space

**AN: Double update day! This is actually something I noticed on the show, how Pete and Myka are always close to each other. Claudia's POV.  
><strong>

**12- Space**  
><strong>They don't seem to notice how much of the time they're in contact with each other.<strong>

* * *

><p>Something is different about Pete and Myka. Not that something has changed, it's always been there. At least, as far as I can remember. They're always in contact with each other. If they're not actually touching, they're at least very close.<p>

Whenever they call home on the Farnsworth, they're tucked up against each other. Sometimes Pete will even have his arm around her if they're sitting. Not only is he the only Myka lets do that, she doesn't notice when he does. neither of them do.

After a tough case, they'll sit on the couch with not an inch of space in between them. Myka might read and Pete might munch cookies or something, but mostly they just sit and be.

Sometimes I'll peer into his room and they'll be stretched out on his bed, fixated on a movie. Sometimes one or two or all of the rest of us attend these movie nights, but most of the time it's just them.

Probably the only time I've ever seen them keep any noticeable distance from each other was when Myka had to wear that dress that showed a lot more skin than usual. Reverse psychology or something like that. The more skin Myka shows, the further away Pete is.

The funny thing is, that they don't seem to notice that they do this. Weird, huh?

* * *

><p><strong>38<strong>


	14. Gibberish

**Three updates in one day, I am spoiling you guys rotten.  
><strong>

**13- Gibberish**  
><strong>It sounds like complete nonsense coming out of his mouth after he accidentally tripped an Artifact, but somehow Myka still understands him.<strong>

* * *

><p>"How many times have I told you not to play with Artifacts?" Myka sighed.<p>

"!yrros saw I dias I ,yeH" Pete protested, yanking his hand away as she prodded the skin of his palm

His partner yanked the wayward limb back towards her. "Well maybe if you were careful, instead of playing with everything you see like a small child, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"!luferac ma I" Pete insisted, trying not to flinch as she dug into his hand with the tweezers.

"Of course, then how did you get a fragment from one of the stones of the Tower of Babel imbedded in your hand?" the brunette asked disbelievingly.

".ti no dednal dnah ym dna deppirt I" he explained, winching as she twisted the implement.

"And it just happened to be lying on the floor?" she asked, depositing a shard in the neutralizer bag Claudia held and going back for another.

"sey"

"How do you understand him?" Claudia interrupted.

"It's not that different than translating Pete with his mouth full," Myka explained. "I think I got them all," she added to her partner, "say something."

"akyM sey" he said obediently, then held out his hand once more like a child asking for candy.

"So, how did you tripping manage to open the case and spill the stones," she asked, bending once more and digging around with the tweezers.

"saw ti, wonk t'nod I just lying there," he explained, reverting to English mid-sentence as she pulled out a tiny sliver of stone, "maybe someone else pulled them out at one point."

"?dias uoy ,lebaB fo senots ehT" Claudia asked. The agents gave her blank looks and she put the sliver she'd taken from Myka into the bag with the others and repeated herself. "The stones of Babel, you said?"

Pete nodded.

"We used those when Hugo took over the Warehouse, to communicate without him understanding us," the tech admitted, "I think Doug may have dropped his at one point. That's probably where the sliver came from."

"See, I told you I wasn't playing with it," Pete said.

"Fine, I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Myka huffed, "but you have to admit, you do have a habit of playing with things you aren't supposed to."

"Glad we cleared that up," he said, then turned to Claudia, a mischievous smile beginning to creep across his face. "Doug?" he asked innocently.

* * *

><p><strong>37<strong>


	15. Split

**14- Split**  
><strong>Exasperated with Pete's whining, Myka gives him one of her Twizzlers.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Myka, I'm hungry," Pete whined.<p>

The named agent ignored him, focusing on the road instead. They'd stopped to get gas about two hours ago and he'd gotten a bag of cookies that had long since disappeared. She'd open her Twizzlers, and she'd noticed Pete was eying them, but they were hers and bodily harm came to those who tried to steal them.

Pete knew this fact, very well. He swore up and down you could still see the bruise from the last time he'd tried to do that. Myka said he was being a baby.

Which was why he was trying to persuade her to pull over again, so he could get more cookies, instead of stealing the food that was already there.

"Pete, there is nothing for miles," she insisted, "just be quiet until we get there and I'm sure Leena will have cookies for you."

"But I'm hungry now," he insisted.

Exasperated, the agent reached back into the bag and pulled out a piece of stringy candy. "Here, munch on this," she ordered, pushing it at Pete.

He took it and immediately started chowing down, filling the car with blessed silence broken only the sounds of chewing.

* * *

><p>"How is he?" Leena asked, coming out as she pulled up, Claudia close on her heels.<p>

Myka didn't bother answering, instead she got out and walked around the car. She pulled open the door to the backseat and reached in, pulling out her partner.

"Well, now his physical age matches his mental age," Claudia remarked, looking at the little boy in Myka's arms. The Artifact they'd been chasing had caused reverse aging and Pete had to go and pick the thing up. It promptly transformed him into an six year old and would have gone further if Myka hadn't ripped it out of his hand and neutralized it.

"Have you made any progress figuring out how to turn him back?" she asked.

"Artie thought we could send the thing through the super-gooer," the tech said.

"Hey Pete," Leena said, taking the boy from Myka, leaving the agents to brainstorm,"Did you behave for Myka?"

The little boy nodded, "She's fun," he said, "she gave me one of her t-wizz-lers." He stumbled a little over the longer word, but looked proud when he got it out.

"Did she now?" the aura reader asked, moving toward the door to the Warehouse, "she doesn't do that for many people, you know."

Pete nodded. "She's special," he announced.

"I can tell," she responded neutrally, heading down the corridor to the office where Artie waited, followed by the two female agents, still debating methods of neutralization.

"No, really special," he stressed, in an annoyed tone that clearly indicated that he thought she didn't understand.

Leena smiled one of her mysterious smiles. "I know exactly what you mean," she said.

* * *

><p>It took the better part of the afternoon, two separate Artifacts, a trip to the gooery, the super gooer, and one of Claudia's inventions to get Pete back to his proper age<p>

Finally they made it back to the B&B. Claudia's experiment had exploded, sending purple sludge everywhere, and Artie had refused to allow any of them to leave until every last drop was gone.

"Admit it," the agent insisted as they walked in the door, "you think I make a cute kid."

"I forfeit," the tech said, putting her hands up, "I'm going to bed." She plodded toward the stairs. "and taking a shower," she added, "not in that order."

With one opponent gone, Pete turned the only living being left. "Come on, Myka," he insisted, "you thought I was cute as a kid, and don't you dare deny it."

Myka hesitated a moment, pretending to think. "I guess you were kind of adorable," she admitted after a moment. The agent glanced around, checking that there wasn't anyone around before stepping closer. "But I like you better like this," she continued, "I don't feel like a pedophile now."

There were any number of remarks Pete could have made at this point, but none of them compared to simply closing the distance between them.

* * *

><p><strong>Um, who saw that coming? Any of that? Because I did not. Is it a bad sign when the characters start doing things without your say-so?<strong>

**36.**


	16. Midnight

**15- Midnight**  
><strong>It's touching, but that doesn't stop her from throwing a pillow at his head when he woke her up at 12:01 to wish her happy birthday.<strong>

* * *

><p>She was in the middle of a very nice dream involving none of the explosions or disasters that interfere with her usual day when she felt a hand on her shoulder. So Myka did what any good Secret Service-turned-Warehouse agent would do when woken abruptly by an unknown force.<p>

She attacked the stranger.

The human moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting his face rearranged.

"Myka, it's me," he hissed, "calm down."

"Pete?" she asked, squinting through the darkness to make out the figure looming over her.

Pete had been behaving strangely all day, so she was expecting him to do something ridiculous.

She did not expect him to sneak into her room in the middle of the night, but then again, it's Pete.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Why are you in my room?" Myka demanded, able to make out his features more clearly now that her eyes were becoming adjusted to the lack of light.

"It's just after midnight," he replied, as if this should make it obvious.

Myka started to get out of bed, intent on shoving him out of the room and going back to sleep, possibly locking the door somewhere in there, before she remembered what she was wearing. One time Leena had mixed up the laundry and she'd ended up with one of Pete's shirts. He'd been extra annoying that day, so she simply hadn't returned it and had taken to wearing it and a pair of soft pants to sleep in.

It's not that it bothered her to be wearing the stolen shirt, but her partner would get never-ending mileage out of it if he saw her chosen sleep attire.

So she pulled the covers up to her chin and glared at him.

"So what?" she asked.

"Myka, what's the date?" he asked.

The agent wracked her brain, trying to remember. "The twenty-fourth?" she guessed.

Pete shook his head. "It's a minute after midnight," he reminded her, "it's the twenty-fifth."

Myka looked blank, trying to remember what about the twenty-fifth was so special that he had to wake her up at midnight. Suddenly she remembered, and wondered why she hadn't immediately done so.

"It's your birthday!" Pete exclaimed, echoing her thoughts.

"How do you know that?" she asked suspiciously.

"You told me," he said, "while we were waiting for Baker to show up."

Hey eyes narrowed. They'd played a guessing game while waiting, subjects ranged from favorite colors to which Artifact you would use if you could do so free of consequences, to everything in between. She'd mentioned her birthday in passing, right before Baker came out of the building. It's rather amazing he remembered, actually.

"So I came to wish you happy birthday," he continued, then started to sing, quietly, so as not to wake the others.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Myka, happy birthday to you." He sang exageratedly off key, pairing the short song with a silly dance, and she was stiffing laughter by the end.

"Alright, now you've done what you came to do, out," she ordered, pointing to the door.

Pete grinned and made his way out, then stuck his head back in. "Nice pajamas, by the way," he added.

He ducked back out into the hall as her pillow crashed into the space his head had occupied only seconds earlier.

* * *

><p><strong>If we ever learn Myka's birthday, and it's the twenty-fifth of some month. I am going to laugh so hard.<strong>

**35.**


	17. Overlap

**AN: Missing scene from episode 1.3 "Magnetism".  
><strong>

**16- Overlap**  
><strong>They began to be true partners when Artie told them both that they were in charge.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Not bad for your first lead," Pete remarked, craning around to check on the chair they'd shoved in the back.<p>

"It was your lead," Myka retorted, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Artie said it was supposed to be yours," he informed her

"He told me the same thing," Myka said.

They glanced at each other, suddenly realizing they'd been duped.

"We have to get back at him," Pete announced.

"Seconded," the brunette replied, "so what can we do?"

"We could put itching powder in his clothes," Pete offered.

"You are so childish," she shot back, "back in Denver, when we wanted to play a prank on someone, we'd decorate their office. There was this one time we coated everything in tinfoil. We even individually wrapped the pens."

"But we have to use that space too," he pointed out, "and that might work in a big office with dozens of culprits, but not with just three of us. Four if you count Leena."

They fell silent for a moment, brainstorming ideas, then Pete grinned.

"Myka, this is a nice car, don't you think?" he asked, rubbing the edge of his seat.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, slightly confused where he was going with this."I'd say it's a very nice car, and Artie seems quite fond of it."

"Think you can get one of the bumpers off?" he asked.

Suddenly she realized what he was getting at. "I think so, but would do we tell him? If we say we ran into a tree or something like that, he'll come up with some punishment."

Pete drooped, not having thought that far. He started to think of something else when Myka laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"The cop had a bomb," she pointed out.

Pete matched her thoughts quickly. "And we needed somewhere to put that bomb," he continued.

"So we put it in the nearest enclosed space we could find," Myka finished.

"Which happened to be Artie's poor car," he stated.

* * *

><p>Myka stopped the car in front of the Warehouse. They had talked the entire way back, plotting out exactly how they were going to break the 'news about his car' to Artie.<p>

With a bit of teamwork, they got one of the bumpers off the car and into the Warehouse while their new boss wasn't looking. "Ready?" Pete asked, stowing the metal under the table.

Myka grinned at her partner. "Ready," she said and they turned to face the doorway where Artie was about to walk through.

* * *

><p><strong>34.<strong>


	18. Stunt

**AN: I'm not sure I can still write proper fluff after the finale. It was so sad, and so heart-wrenching, but so epic, and... just let me know how this turned out. Please?  
><strong>

**17- Stunt**  
><strong>"Don't do that again, alright? You had me worried" she told him, hovering over the hospital bed.<strong>

* * *

><p>Pete was officially In Trouble. He was such deep trouble that it needed to be capitalized. He just didn't know <em>why.<em>

He had woken up in a hospital bed unable to remember how he got there. In fact, the entire last week was one big gap in his memory.

When he'd woken up, Myka was there. He'd managed to worm out of the nurses that she'd been there all three days he'd been unconscious, but no one had bothered to tell him what caused that state in the first place.

He'd been visited by Artie and Claudia, but both of them were strangely secretive when asked about Myka or his state of unconsciousness, saying it was something he needed to figure out on his own. Claudia had let drop that he'd been hit by something, but that was all he knew.

Finally as he was being discharged, he worked up the courage to ask Myka about it.

"Myka," he began hesitantly.

"Yes Pete," she said icily.

"Why are you mad at me?" He figured now was the best time to ask, because he could always play the 'injured' card if she looked like she was going to punch him and they were in a hospital if she punched him anyway.

She glared at him, staying silent, and he was beginning to give up hope of ever knowing when she suddenly burst out. "You're an idiot!"

Now that she'd gotten it out there, a dam seemed to burst and she began to pace back and forth in the confines of his room, talking very quickly under her breath. He was only able to catch snippets, but from those he began to put together a picture of what had happened.

"What made you think - he had an Artifact - I can defend myself - what were you thinking - you weren't thinking, couldn't have been..."

"Myka," he interrupted.

"twice your size- twenty-six stitches - possibility of brain damage, not that it would make a difference - flatlined..."

"Myka," he repeated

"Nearly too late - know what that's like - another partner - idiot - what possessed you to - lucky to be alive - never going near another bar again..."

"Myka!" he nearly shouted her name.

"What?" she snapped, spinning to face him, "What can you say that would excuse what you did?"

Pete reeled back from the sudden onslaught. "It would help if you gave me the full story, instead of just snippets about me protecting you from some man twice my size." He finished the sentence with a grin.

Myka stared at him, speechless for a moment, then all her wrath poured out. "You can - how dare you!" she screeched, "Pete you flatlined in the ambulance, they almost couldn't bring you back!"

Suddenly, he understood. She wasn't mad, she was scared. Scared she would loose him like she'd lost the last partner she'd gotten close to.

He pushed off the bed where he'd been sitting tying a shoe and crossed the room, pulling her into his arms.

"Myka, I'm not going anywhere," he assured her, "no one will take me away from you. It's okay."

"Just promise me you won't take on any more guys twice your size who have an Artifact in some misguided notion of protecting me," she said.

"I can't promise that," he replied stubbornly, "I'm always going to protect you."

"Then at least promise to let me have first crack at him," his partner compromised.

"They'll never know what hit them," he swore. "Now can we go get some cookies? I've been lying here for three days without any sugar, I might go into withdrawal soon."

Myka laughed and punched him in the arm. Pete rubbed the spot and complained, but it was worth it to get a smile back on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>33.<strong>


	19. Set

**AN: Ha! I can still write silliness. Hope you enjoy.****  
><strong>

**18- Set**  
><strong>Pete grinned and rubbed his hands together in anticipation, staring fixedly at the door that Myka was about to walk through.<strong>

* * *

><p>"You're going to be in such trouble," Claudia warned him.<p>

"I don't see you doing anything about it," Pete replied, adjusting the object in his hands.

"Artie will be mad," the tech said.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," he replied, jumping down from the chair he'd dragged in front of the door and returning it to its spot by the table.

"Now what?" Claudia asked.

"Now we wait," the agent answered, dropping into the chair.

"Myka's going to kill you," the redhead predicted.

"She won't know who did it," he countered.

"Yes she will," Claudia said.

Sploosh!

"Pete!" Myka screeched. She'd just opened the door to Artie's office and the bucket he'd carefully balanced on the door frame fell down on top of her, soaking her to the skin.

"Busted," sang Claudia, turning back to her computer.

"That was for decorating my room with Edward Seymour's paint can," he said, "Leena says it's going to be green and orange for a week."

"At least I was imaginative," she insisted, "this?" she lifted the horn lying by her feet and swung it in the air, water sloshing over the sides. "This is old."

"Come one Myks, it's the old water-over-the-door trick. How can you go wrong with a classic?"

"Like this," she replied and threw the contents of the horn onto him. It was a never-ending drinking horn, belonging to Thor, with one end rooted in the sea, so he got just as thoroughly soaked as she was.

"That's it," Pete declared, hopping up from his seat, "this is war."

He lunged for her, but Myka dodged and splashed him again. He sized her around the middle and wrestled the thing form her grasp, upending it over her head.

The agent gasped as the cold ocean water cascaded over her and twisted, trying to get it away from him. Pete was taller, so he held it over his head, just out of her reach, but in order to actually keep it away from her he had to move it all around, sloshing water over both of them.

Claudia grabbed her computer and retreated to the far corner of the room, away from the flying water and fighting agents.

"What are you doing?" Artie yelled.

Pete and Myka stopped wrestling for control of the Artifact and slowly turned to face the boss. They were both so wet by this point that they were dripping sea water all over the floor.

"Having a water fight?" Pete ventured.

"In my office?" the senior agent asked.

"Well Pete played a trick on me," Myka explained, sending water droplets flying as she poked her partner, "and I splashed him back and it just kind of escalated from there."

"I am so getting you back for this," she whispered, a change of clothes and cleaning detail later, when they were both scrubbing the floor, "a paint can will look like nothing compared to what I'm going to do."

"Bring it on," Pete replied. The seriousness of his statement was completely undermined when he slipped in a salty puddle that hadn't been cleaned up yet and fell flat on his back.

* * *

><p><strong>32.<strong>


	20. Activating

**19- Activating**  
><strong>"Pete, no!" she yelled, lunging a second too late to stop him from turning on the Artifact in his hands.<strong>

* * *

><p>Pete didn't notice when the door to Artie's office opened to admit a red haired tech. The reason for this was that his attention was obviously elsewhere, namely, the woman squirming underneath him. He had her pinned to the floor, knees on either side of her waist, fighting her.<p>

Claudia turned a shade to match Leena's tomato sauce and stopped walking. She was about to turn around and leave quietly, after all, she hadn't done the Atlanta section in awhile, when Pete glanced up.

"Claud, a little help here?" he asked.

The tech took a few cautious steps forward and spotted the cause of the problem.

"How did that happen?" she asked, rushing forward.

"Accident," Pete grunted out, fighting to keep Myka still, "a little help?"

Claudia gave him a glare worthy of Artie and pulled out a pair of purple gloves. She snapped them on and reached for Myka's neck.

Working together, they managed to get the collar off Myka. Claudia deposited it in a snag bag and the agent immediately stopped struggling.

"What happened?" she mumbled.

"This," Claudia explained, holding up the Artifact, "causes the wearer to go rabid."

Myka glanced over at the bag and Artifact it now contained, then her eyes snapped back to him. "Pete?" she began.

"Yeah, Myka?" he asked.

"Could you get off me?"

He jumped up as if burned only just remembering their positions, then reached down to help her up. She took the hand gratefully and he hauled her to her feet.

"How did that get around my neck?" she asked suspiciously, taking the Artifact from Claudia and examining it.

"Accident," he replied innocently

Myka looked at him sceptically. "Uh huh."

"It's the truth," he insisted.

"That would be a lot more convincing if you didn't look so guilty," she retorted.

"But I didn't do anything!"

"Dudes," Claudia interjected, "I walked on you pinning Myka to the floor. Artifact or no, I think explanations are in order all around."

Suddenly, they both looked massively guilty.

* * *

><p><strong><strong> I blame the plot bunnies. They ambushed me late at night.<strong>**

**31.**


	21. Effectiveness

**20- Effectiveness**  
><strong>They're both good at what they do, put them together and they do even better.<strong>

* * *

><p>Myka Bering is excellent at what she does. Whatever she does, she does well. It's how she got so far in a male-dominated profession.<p>

Pete Lattimer is also good at what he does. He might not be quite as professional as his new partner, but he still gets the job done.

Apart, they're perfectly capable of doing what needs to be done. They might come out on the other side slightly bumped and bruised, but it will get done, because they are both very good at what they do.

Even when they get partnered with another person, for example when Myka has to go with Claudia or when Pete is sent on a mission with Jinks, they'll still get it done, possibly even faster than they would have done alone; but it's not the same as when they're partnered with each other.

When they are paired up, they will not only get the job done, they'll come out on the other side joking and laughing. They have each others backs, because they are partners and that is what they do. They seem to anticipate each others actions before they actually occur.

Before they came to the warehouse, neither had experienced a bond like that: knowing another person so well and trusting them absolutely.

Before the Warehouse, neither of them would have let another person in so deeply. They would have fled, in their different manners. Pete would hide behind his jokes and childish humor, Myka would have shoved them away with the towering walls she puts up.

But they didn't, and now they work so well together. It's unimaginable to have Myka without Pete or vice versa. They're inseparable.

Right now, quite literally.

"Pete, do not put your hand there!"

"It's not like I can help it!"

"And who's fault is that, Mister-I-Play-with-all-the-Artifacts?"

"But it was shiny, I couldn't help it."

They're one of the best teams of Warehouse agents he's ever seen. And he has to remind himself of that in moments when they pull something like this.

* * *

><p><strong>Little introspective drabble, from Artie's POV.<br>**

**30.**


	22. Combining

**AN: The plot bunnies simply did not want to cooperate for this one. I had to trash several ideas because they weren't working.  
><strong>

**21- Combining**  
><strong>When you put two such strong-willed people together, it's inevitable that they'll explode in some way or another.<strong>

* * *

><p>"I'm not sure I want to know," Leena said, eyebrows nearly disappearing into her hairline as Pete slunk into the room.<p>

"Pete lost a bet," Myka explained smugly.

"Can we please just forget about it?" the agent said, trying to make himself a small as possible in his chair.

"Oh no, now I want to hear this story," Claudia interjected, "it promises to be good."

"Pete, do you want to explain?" Myka asked.

"No," her partner replied shortly.

"We were fixing a problem with the neutralizer system, in the Montgomery section," she explained, "and Pete said that I should twist the thing to the left. I told him that he was wrong and it needed to go right, he insisted he was right."

"So you told him that he had to wear..." Claudia trailed off the end of her sentence, gesturing to Pete's clothing.

"Whatever I picked for one day if he was wrong," the agent finished.

"Actually," Pete put in, "What I said was that I'd wear whatever you wanted if I was wrong. I never said I'd wear it an entire day."

"Tough, I got soaked in neutralizer because of that incident," his partner shot back, "and besides, you look good in it."

"You looked better," Pete insisted, "much better. In fact, why don't you wear it?"

The agent shook her head. "You are not getting off that easily," she answered.

"What's going on and why is Pete wearing a black dress?" This voice belonged to Jinks, who'd been lured downstairs by the sound of voices and the smell of breakfast.

Claudia and Leena hastened to explain, because the partners were deep in another argument and showing no signs of snapping out of it anytime soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Halloween everybody.<br>**

**29.**


	23. Lightning

**Welcome to November everyone. This will be the last update for a while, since NaNoWriMo will be taking up the majority of my attention. Missing scene from 1.1**

**22- Lightning**  
><strong>Myka will never, ever admit it, but she jumped the first time the Tesla went off.<strong>

* * *

><p>"This is a tesla," Artie said, showing them a steampunk sort of gun that looked like no weapon she had ever seen before, "it was invented by Nikola Tesla in- don't point it at me!" the order was directed at her new partner, who had taken the gun and was doing a sweep with it, getting used to it.<p>

"Sorry," he said, laying the weapon on the table.

Myka reached out a hand and slid the weapon towards her, both to examine it and prevent any further accidents.

Artie finished showing them the equipment they would be using and sent them off to retrieve the Artifact.

"How's your marksmanship?" Pete asked, as they were making their way to the car.

"Just fine," she replied stiffly, tucking the can of neutralizer into the back seat side, "Why do you you ask?"

"Bet you can't hit that tree with this," he challenged. She looked up to see him holding the tesla and pointing to a tree that was halfway falling over.

"I am not shooting trees for your amusement," Myka replied shortly.

"Why Myka, I never took you as one to back down from a challenge," he said, "Are you scared? I bet I could do it."

He took a stance, holding the tesla in front of him and taking aim.

"Fine," she sighed, "but you are taking the blame if we get in trouble for this."

"I won't tell if you don't," Pete replied.

Myka didn't bother to answer. Instead she took the weapon, adjusting to the weight and size of it, and took careful aim.

_After all_ she rationalized, _if they were expected to use this, they should know how to hit what they shoot at. What better way to learn than target practice?_

With that thought in mind, she squeezed the trigger, bracing for the kickback.

There was no kickback. Instead of the bang and recoil she was expecting, there was a electric crackling and lightning went shooting out of the end of the gun.

She yelped at the sudden, unexpected presence of so much electricity, dropping the weapon and jumping backward, knocking straight into Pete.

"That was great," her new partner chuckled, "you jumped about a foot."

Myka calmly stepped forward and retrieved the gun from where she'd dropped it, firmly not looking at the tree.

"That was hilarious," Pete commented, "I wish you could have seen your face."

"It never happened," she insisted, getting into the car.

"Come on, Myks, that was funny and you know it," he retorted.

"It was not," she insisted, "and that is not my name."

As they were pulling out, she snuck a glance at the tree. Sure enough, it had a black mark on it from the electricity.

Guns that shot lightening, could this place get any weirder?

* * *

><p><strong>See you in a month and good luck to all NaNo participants.<strong>

**28.**


	24. Research

**Hello! I'm back, unscathed (mostly) from NaNo! This one gave me trouble like you would not believe.  
><strong>

**23- Research**  
><strong>He's always avoided the library, being more of a comic book guy, but somehow she manages to get him to pick up a book.<strong>

* * *

><p>Pete never liked the library. He was always being told to be quiet and the librarians were imposing and strict. He never liked reading much anyways, so it wasn't much of a sacrifice to walk down the block to the general store and invest in some comic he could take home and read in his room and be as loud as he liked.<p>

It eventually turned from avoiding the library to avoiding reading, especially after his dad died. His dad was the one who taught him to read and books were another painful reminder of his lost parent. He read when he had to, but only when it was absolutely necessary.

When he finds Myka one day, curled up on one end of the couch, oblivious to the world except for the page in front of her, he pauses a moment to observe her. She looks peaceful, so unlike the hassled version of her that was running around the Warehouse earlier trying to stop it from exploding all across South Dakota.

That is what finally convinces him to pick up a book. Not her arguments that reading is good for him and helps simulate brain cell growth, though he suspects she made that up so it doesn't count; but how peaceful she looks while her nose in buried in a book and her mind is in another world.

Plus, it gives him an excuse to sit on the other end of the couch and glance at her surreptitiously over the top of the page ever so often.

* * *

><p><strong>27.<strong>


	25. Staircase

**24- Staircase**  
><strong>It was a habit of hers to sit halfway up the stairs, so she could keep tabs on the whole house.<strong>

* * *

><p>Everyone in Warehouse team has a favorite spot when they're in the B&amp;B.<p>

Claudia can usually be found in the armchair in the corner of the living room or belly-down on her bed, doing something on her laptop or fiddling with a new gadget.

Artie sits in the recliner next to its own round table, so he can spread out files on whatever latest case they're working.

Jinks hasn't quite claimed a spot yet, but he keeps gravitating toward the hanging bench on the porch just outside the dining room. Sometimes he reads, sometimes he does paperwork, and other times, he just sits. Occasionally Claudia will take whatever project she's working on at the moment out there, to explain bits when he's struggling through the manual.

Myka has claimed the corner of the couch closest to the door, and usually sits there with her nose buried in a book.

Pete can be found wherever Myka is most of the time, but he likes the chair nearest the kitchen, so he's first when someone finishes a batch of cookies. Artie tried to teach him once how to bake his own cookies, but that ended in disaster and Pete being banned form the kitchen.

Leena prefers to sit halfway up the stairs, exactly in the middle. They're not wide steps, so she has to move when people want to get by, but that's where she prefers to sit. There's a very simple reason for this.

People leave residual auras whenever they go somewhere. She can always tell when Pete sneaked downstairs in the middle of the night for cookies, because there's a trace of orange in her kitchen. Sometimes Claudia's bold red, subdued from sleep will appear, and very rarely Myka's smooth silver.

When Claudia did a victory dance in the middle of the living room after beating Pete at some video game, bright red, triumphant ribbons took days to fade fully.

When Artie grumbled at her for disturbing him, Leena had to smile because his aura, earth brown, was shining with affection. Then the tech stuck out her tongue and mockingly called him 'dad' and it was hard not to laugh because Artie was glowing so bright, but of course he didn't show it, just grumbled some more and turned back to whatever he was working on.

The couch is a mix of soft silver and orange, because that's where Pete and Myka sit after a tiring case. It's full of quiet content, familiarity, contrasting with Claudia's sharp red excitement or Artie's almost solemn brown or even Jink's still-nervous green.

Leena prefers to sit halfway up the stairs because from there she can watch the auras within the whole house.

It helps her keep an eye on this makeshift family.

* * *

><p><strong>26.<strong>


	26. Return

**I saw a story done in this backwards style a while back and when I got to this prompt, the bunnies pounced on that format.**

**25- Return**  
><strong>The pain of her departure was nothing compared to the joy he felt when she came back.<strong>

* * *

><p>Sixty-four days from now, Pete will walk into the Warehouse office and see his partner standing there like she never left. He won't embrace her like Claudia does, afraid she'll dissolve under his touch like she has in so many of his dreams. He will simply greet her and welcome her back. Artie will say that they need to get back to work and when no one is looking, Pete will pinch himself. It hurts and the rip deep inside will finally begin to heal.<p>

Sixty-three days from now, Myka will run into the lobby of a hotel in Denver and save his new partner. She will make a comment about how Jinks is officially part of the team. They will almost immediately slip back into their old routine, brainstorming about the Artifact. The three of them will save the day, and for the first time since she left, Pete will effortlessly crack an inappropriate joke.

Sixty-two days from now, Pete will get assigned a new partner. He will greet the man, and immediately start comparing him to his old partner.

Sixty-one days from now, they will get a ping and go to retrieve Jimmy Hendricks's guitar. Pete will rescue a woman trapped in a burning telephone booth. The woman, whose name he never bothers to get, will thank him, but all he will be able to think about is how Myka would have asked why it took him so long, if it had been her trapped.

Twenty-nine days from now, they will finally find Myka, hiding in plain sight at her parent's bookstore. He'll jump on the next plane to Denver and confront his former partner. They will have a screaming match that ends with Pete slumped into his seat on the airplane back to South Dakota, with his face buried in his hands and despair filling him as that rip inside grows even larger. Unbeknownst to him, Myka will be in the exact same position on the couch in "Bering and Sons" bookstore.

One week from now, Claudia will find Pete sitting on his bed, staring at the comic in his hands. She will silently sit down next to her "big brother" and they will both stare at the comic book, both thinking of the missing agent, because no matter what happens she still is, will always be, part of the team. The tech will swear that she'll find Myka and Pete will flash her a thankful smile. That will be the last time anyone says Myka's name around him until they find her.

An hour from now Leena will find Pete sitting on the porch swing outside, still staring in the direction Myka left in, as if by staring hard enough, he will be able to bring her back. It will almost hurt to look at him, with large chunks ripped out of his aura and bleeding sadness all over the atmosphere, but she will sit down next to him with a plate of cookies. He will take one, but he won't say anything. It will mark the beginning of a new, quieter, more serious Pete. No one on the Warehouse team will like this new Pete.

Ten minutes from now, Mrs. Fredrick will walk into the warehouse office carrying a letter. She will sit down and read it aloud. It will tell be Myka's goodbye, and Pete won't be able to sit through the entire thing. He will get up almost as soon as his name is read and run after her as fast as his legs will carry him. It won't be fast enough, and something deep inside him will rip as he watches her run away.

* * *

><p><strong>25. We're halfway done<strong>

**This has nothing to do with the chapter, but it's an idea I've had bouncing around. Would anyone like to see one of these "fifty things" with Claudia? Not a chapter with Claudia, but an separate installment with her as one of the stars?**

**Merry Christmas everyone.**


	27. Domain

**Wow, it's been a while. So a couple of people have said "yes!" (or at least "sure") to the idea of a Claudia-centric fifty things. Which leaves just one question:  
>Todd, Fargo, or random-dude-who-came-out-of-nowhere-and-vanished-after-one-episode-whose-name-I-can't-remember as the other person?<strong>

**Listen to The Hanging Tree (http:/ www. youtube. com/ watch?v =OVwPXFdfRuY) to get the proper effect of this. It turned out seriously creepy while I wasn't looking.  
><strong>

**26- Domain**  
><strong>Pete felt out of place among all the books, but he pressed on, determined to find his partner.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Myka!" he yelled. Silence, oppressive and cloying, pressed down on him, as though the very books that surrounded him were frowning on the noise and intrusion.<p>

"Myka!" repeated Pete. He ran through the library, taking twists and turns, but not getting anywhere. This place seemed built for confusion. He raced towards the end of a row, only to find it branched into more, and those into more and more, until he was so turned around he couldn't find where he'd come form if his life depended on it.

He couldn't recall exactly how he'd gotten here, only that he had to find... something before something horrible happened. Pete glanced up, hoping to find some landmark on the ceiling, but only a dark cloud hung above his head.

"Myka!" he called again.

_(Pete, I'm here.)_

"Pete!" screamed back a female voice, the first noise he'd heard that wasn't his own voice, but the voice didn't belong to belong to Myka.

He rounded a corner, and there was Claudia, strung up by her wrists. She was too pale and her head lolled to one side, exposing the steadily purpleing marks along her neck.

"No, Claudia," he breathed, approaching the tech slowly. She was still warm to his touch, but there was no pulse when he felt for one.

_(What's wrong with him?)_

A scuffing noise caught his attention, and he turned just in time to catch the edge of a shadow sliding away. For a split second, he was torn, not sure whether to stay with Claudia or go after the figure. Desire to catch what he assumed to be her killer won, and he raced off, desperate not to come across another barely-dead body.

He kept seeing flashes of a silhouette at intersections, but only flashes. Once he thought he saw a sliver of brown curls down an aisle, but it was a dead end.

The agent turned around and froze. Artie was suspended, half standing, half-sitting, kept up only by the sword stabbed through him.

_(That's what I'm trying to figure out)_

Pete ran across to the corridor, falling to his knees in front of the man. He knew before he reached out a trembling hand that he would find no pulse. He was beginning to see the pattern, and leapt to his feet again.

"Myka!" he screamed, "Myka! Where are you?" He could not lose his partner. He hadn't found her yet, so there was a chance, however slight, that she was still alive. With one regretful glance back at Artie, he took off again, winding through the shelves and screaming his partner's name.

"Pete, I'm here."

Relief flowed through him at Myka's voice. She sounded calm, too calm.

When he turned the corner, he saw why. She was perched on a chair, standing as though reaching for a book on the highest shelf. But the rope dangling from the dark oblivion above and fixed around her neck. Another chair and rope ensemble stood next to her, and she gestured for him to come closer.

"Come on Pete," she persuaded, "it's easy. It will stop hurting, all of it. Artie and Claudia are waiting for us."

_(Hold on just a little longer__, don't give in)_

Pete stopped in front of her. "This is wrong," he said, "the Myka I know would never consider something like this."

The brunette looked down at him with cold, hollow eyes. "Then maybe you don't know me very well at all," she said, and kicked over the chair. It caught him off guard, knocking the breath out of him and sending him tumbling to the floor.

"No," he gasped, pushing the piece of furniture off him and hopping up on the other chair to try and wrest the noose from around his partner's neck.

_(Just douse them all!)_

The agent fumbled with the rope, praying her neck hadn't broken instantly, but the more he pulled at it, the tighter it seemed to get. He reached down for the pocket knife he kept, only to curse as he realized it was not there.

Myka was no longer breathing, and his hands trembled as he took a pulse. There was no soothing beat under his fingertips.

As he realized this, he felt something bumping into his head. One hand reached behind him, and he pulled the other rope forward to scrutinize.

_(I got it!)_

Pete glanced over at his partner, swaying gently and quickly going pale from lack of blood circulation. He looked back and forth between her and the noose.

Myka's voice, saying all the hurt would stop, sounded in his head and his hands shook as he put the rope around his own pulled it tight and toed the edge of the chair.

_(Dunk it!)_

His world exploded. A shower of sparks, bright and purple, split the black cloud that hovered over everything.

Pete jolted upright, nearly crashing into Myka. The brunette was hovering over him, crouched protectively over him.

"What happened?" he asked, looking around.

"I get to add another Artifact to your shirt," Claudia announced, pulling a book out of the tank she been in up to her elbows. She displayed it to them.

Myka squinted at it. "Studium Somniorum Malorum?" she guessed, "that's what has been causing all this trouble?"

"Looks that way," Artie put in, holding out a bag for the tech to dump the troublesome book in.

Myka turned back to him, and her brow creased. "What?" she asked.

Pete sat up properly, and put out hand to run his fingers along her cheek. "I watched you die," he told her softly.

"It was just the Artifact," Myka reassured him, but she made no move to pull away, "ten feet, remember?"

"What happens to you happens to me," he finished.

"That's all well and nice," Artie grouched, "how about you help put these books back?"

Myka helped him to his feet, and with a shared look, the partners got to work.

* * *

><p><strong>In case you are confused, the stuff in parentheses was what was going on outside Pete's head while he was under the Artifact's influence<em>.<br>_**

**_Studium Somniorum Malorum_ translates roughly to 'Study of Nightmares'; with the idea being that it made you live through your worst nightmare.**

**Don't forget to provide input on the Claudia thing!  
><strong>

**24.**


	28. Museum

**Sorry for the delay. I find plot bunnies few and far between (and fluffy ones even more so) during the Warehouse 13 break. Bittersweet little AU thing with slight references to 'Nevermore'  
><strong>

**27- Museum**  
><strong>"Who would want to look at any of this?" he asked, pointing to an exhibit.<strong>

* * *

><p>The exhibit was relatively abandoned. A new space wing was opening this week, and all the crowds were there preferring rockets over books and journals, which suited the dark-haired girl just fine.<p>

The boy next to her wrinkled up his nose. "Why do we have to be here?" he asked, something dangerously close to a whine entering his voice.

The girl shoved him in retaliation. "Lattimer," she accused.

He pushed her back. "Proudly. But, seriously," he glanced around and lowered his voice, "we have way better stuff back home."

"But this won't kill me if I stare at it the wrong way," the girl pointed out, lowering her voice exactly as he had. "Besides, Mom loved this kind of thing." Then, in an even quieter voice, "sometimes, it feels like she's here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she did hang around," someone behind the pair commented, "Myka did love the old authors. Pete wouldn't come within a mile of a library if he could help it though."

They spun around to see a redheaded woman standing there, trying to look stern.

"What did I say about running away?" she demanded, "Artie would put me on inventory for a month, no a year, if anything happened to either of you."

"Trace wanted to see the Poe exhibit," the boy replied, "I think it's boring, but she dragged me." He would never admit it, but loved the history of it nearly as much as his sister.

Claudia bent down to the twin's level. It wasn't as far as it once was, they were growing up."Did you know Poe's pen almost killed your Dad one time?" she inquired.

"Really?" Nick asked eagerly. He liked to know things, to dig in and uncover all the little mysteries.

"Really," the redhead assured him, "Let's find Jinksie, then hit the food court and I'll tell you over ice cream."

Neither had inherited Myka's dislike for sugar, so the mention of ice cream was a sure-fire distraction.

"First to find Jinks gets to choose!" Tracey yelled, racing out of the exhibit.

"Not fair!" Nick complained, taking off after his sister, "you got a head start."

"Wait up!" Claudia yelled after them, pulling out her Farnesworth on the run to alert her partner of the impending danger.

* * *

><p><strong>I have no idea how Pete and Myka died. One day I will be able to write a fluffy little thing that does not involve anyone dying.<br>**

**23.**


	29. Killing

**I now own Season 2 of Warehouse 13 on DVD! Consequently, the plot bunnies have tentatively ventured out of the holes they crawled into. Enjoy the chapter while I try and trap one. Artifacts make good bait, right?  
><strong>

**28- Killing  
><strong>**She looks into those eyes, so like Christina's, and just can't pull the trigger.**

* * *

><p>"Then shoot me," Myka urges, wrapping her fingers around the gun and leveling it to her own forehead, "look me in the eyes and shoot me.<p>

No, she can't shoot the agent. She just can't. Not when the woman standing in front of her reminds her so much of her dead daughter that it hurts sometimes.

But unlike Christina, Myka has more people than just her who will miss her.

Artie, who secretly thinks of them all as his family, even though he would deny the fact to his dying day.

Leena, who serves as guardian angel to them all, in more ways than they truly realize.

Claudia, who sees Myka as a big sister, the one she'll never admit to always having wanted.

Pete. Myka's partner, her equal, and so much more than that, even though both of them seem so blind as to be unable to see it.

No, she can't kill her, can't kill the only one who accepted her in this strange new world she emerged into.

She had told herself it was for Christina, that she was taking revenge for the years taken from her girl, that it was fitting punishment for a world that saw it fit to take her daughter. But she can see Christina in the eyes boring into hers, and both sets are equally pleading, equally desperate, equally disapproving.

No, she can't take Myka's life. Can't look into those eyes and take the future her daughter never had. Can't tear another family apart.

"I can't," she whimpers.

The gun falls.

A soft touch goes around her shoulders and she leans into the brunette, pretending for a moment that this is her daughter, seeking some form of comfort, maybe even forgiveness, from both the memory and the living woman.

* * *

><p>Later, they're loading her into the truck to cart her off to some prison worse than the Bronze Sector, though how anything could be worse than the Bronze Sector she doesn't know.<p>

She pauses, just before the truck swallows her up, and glances over. Claudia is nowhere to be found, Artie's getting patched up, but Myka has come to witness this and, ever faithful, Pete has followed her.

Myka still won't look her in the eyes, but Pete is staring directly at her, something a bit like defiance and a bit like protectiveness and a bit like blame in his eyes.

_You hurt her,_ those eyes say. He's not angry for himself, only for her. And that's what reaches her. She _knows_ what it is to be absolutely furious on behalf of someones else.

There are so many things she wants to say to them, a whole world of apologies that are meaningless in the end because if they had been a few minutes later, she would have done it, for Christina, she would have. But she knows that, and he knows that, and he would do the same, if their places were reversed and it was Myka taken from him.

So she tries to tell him all that, tries to tell him she understands, tries to tell him to look after Myka, after all of them, tries to say _I'm sorry_ with the single instant, the single look she has left with them.

Not, "I'm sorry for trying to destroy the world" she can never really be sorry for that, but "I'm sorry I hurt her."

And for the first time since she was staring down at her daughter's body watching the life leave her eyes, frantically apologizing for not being fast enough, she even means it._  
><em>

She thinks he gets it because he nods, just slightly, but it's enough.

She gets in the truck without resistance and leans her head back against the side, closing her eyes. It doesn't help, Myka's eyes bleed into Christina's and she can't quite shake the horrible feeling that she nearly tore away something more precious than she will ever know.

But they'll be alright.

They have the Warehouse, they have each other. They'll heal.

They might never forgive her, but she hopes Myka can someday forgive herself. Forgive and move one, like she never really did.

The truck starts and HG Wells sits in the back and hopes.

* * *

><p><strong>22.<strong>


	30. Familiarity

**29- Familiarity**  
><strong>They know each other better than anyone else.<strong>

* * *

><p>Normally when strange people walked into her office, Myka simply slammed the silent alarm, kept them talking until security came, and promptly forgot about them.<p>

Pete, he said his name was, was different somehow.

She'd dealt with her share of crazies, it came with being a Secret Service agent. People who claimed to know her, trying to get close to her for whatever agenda they had, but he was different. She could swear with one-hundred percent confidence that she had never seen him before in her life, yet he talked like they were old friends, like he was honestly relieved to find her.

She felt the slightest tinge of regret when security arrived, but ruthlessly squashed it, telling herself it was just some crazy man, and got back to work.

* * *

><p>He was certainly persistent, she'd give him that much.<p>

She got off work and headed to a nearby bar for a drink, to decompress, and he slipped onto the stool next to her, saying something about following her into a bar.

So she slammed his head into the counter, because oddly familiar or not, he was still a creep and this was bordering on stalking.

But he knew her, truly knew her. He knew her background, her upbringing, her little habits and her greatest desires, saw right through her lies. She should have been terrified, concerned over how he had gotten that information, but somehow illogically, she felt comforted.

There was no way he should have been able to convince her, this was the tale of a lunatic, and yet she believed every word.

* * *

><p>"Why did you go to me first?" Myka asked as they walked to her car. Pete hadn't told her how he'd gotten to DC and she really didn't feel inclined to ask, sure the answer was more stuff that would get her locked in the psychiatric ward if she ever repeated any of it.<p>

"Because I knew I could convince you," Pete replied, "You're my partner, and I know you, even if you're not my Myka."

That was the second or third time he'd used that particular phrase, that possessive. "Your Myka?" she repeated, "are we involved in..." she paused, not quite believing she was about to say this, "your reality?"

He shook his head and she thought she caught a glimpse of something unbelievably sad in his eyes before he turned away. "Me and Myks?" he forced a laugh, "No. No, we're not."

"She, I mean, I," she broke off, "is it always this confusing, trying to hold a conversation?"

Pete shrugged. "Sometimes we're normal as any make-shift family ever is, fighting over whose turn it is to clean the dishes or take the dog out; other times we must look like a bunch of lunatics, running around drenched in purple goo, shouting about runaway portraits or deadly dodgeballs; but it's the most amazing job in the world and there's a lot I wouldn't trade it for."

Myka didn't ask what he _would_ trade it for. She thought she might know, judging by the way he looked at her.

* * *

><p>A secret service agent, a criminal, a mental patient, and a man who didn't exist were headed to the middle of nowhere, South Dakota, in a rental car. It sounded like the beginnings of a bad joke.<p>

If that was true, Myka wondered what the punch line was.

Well that and how her day, her normal Christmas Eve spent covering at the office, turned into this escapade. Taking directions from girl who was certified insane and...

A hand slipped over the one drumming a staccato beat into her knee, interrupting her worrying. Pete squeezed once, gently, never looking away from the road before returning both hands to the steering wheel and turning on Claudia's direction. The simple act, just the right level of concern, brought a small smile to her face.

It was almost scary how he knew exactly when and how to calm her.

* * *

><p>The agent screamed his name as he leapt for the brush. She had gotten attached to him, this stranger she hadn't met until just a few hours ago.<p>

She didn't want to lose him.

So she closed her eyes and prayed.

Prayed he was right, that this was all just some Artifact-dream, not reality.

She wanted that picture he'd painted, of a dysfunctional family that somehow, impossibly, _worked_.

Wanted that life.

Above all, she wanted a chance to be _his_ Myka.

* * *

><p>Myka shook off the last vestiges of sleep, clinging to the lingering edges of what might be the oddest non-Artifact-induced dream she'd had. It was slipping quickly away from her, as dreams tended to do, and after a moment of squinting at the wall trying to hang on it, Myka rolled over and pulled the covers tighter around her chin.<p>

One abstract, disconnected fragment remained floating in the back of her mind even as the rest blurred away. Pete's voice, saying two words: "My Myka"

The possessive should have scared her, but somehow it was the best Christmas gift she got that day.

* * *

><p><strong>I was re-watching "the Greatest Gift" for this one and did anybody else notice that after Mrs. Fredrick refuses to add some kind of alcohol to Claudia's drink she[Claudia] complains "I should've left with Steve"? Steve is alive!*Happy fangirl squee moment*<strong>

**21.  
><strong>


	31. Costume

**My excuse is that I've been going through and re-writing some of the more horrible chapters, partly because this chapter just did not want to be written. And then it suddenly did and voila!  
><strong>

**30- Costume**  
><strong>Myka had to fight back a laugh when Pete's face fell at the side effects of the superhero getup.<strong>

* * *

><p>"Do we have a picture?" Myka asked, watching the black and white screen of the Farnesworth as Pete walked back toward her. He slung an arm over her shoulder, partly to guide her inside and partly so he could see the little screen. She would brief him later on what Artie had told her while he was talking their way inside, but this was something he needed to actually see.<p>

Artie pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and ruffled through some papers. "It looks like this," he found what he was looking for and turned around a grainy security camera shot. The shot was of a man in what was obviously a superhero costume, complete with armor, a cape, helmet and…

"Are those tights?" Claudia piped up from somewhere off-screen.

"Yes, they are," their boss answered, "we don't know which piece it is, but a man in that outfit has appeared at each location and the people just went off."

Myka nodded confirmation and told him they would check back later before snapping the device shut. "This should be easy," she remarked.

"Never say that," Pete groaned, "everytime someone says that, everything goes sideways." He dropped his arm and stepped sideways to go on either side of a teen buried in her cell person.

Myka turned to scan the lobby, hoping they would strike lucky and their mysterious costumed man would appear and they wouldn't have to wade through the masses of comic book fans waiting inside. It was a rather distinctive costume, but not so distinctive it would be immediately apparent.

"Myka," Pete interjected. He tapped her shoulder and, when she turned around, pointed. Directly ahead, visible through the open doors, was a poster. It was too far away to read the words, but the picture was distinctly a cartoon version of their costumed man.

"You've got to be kidding me," the agent sighed.

* * *

><p>Three hours and innumerable costumed men later, she caught sight of Pete standing by the stage with the Farnesworth open. They had split up to cover the convention faster, keeping their eyes open for the genuine costume while they waited for the home team to tell them anything else. Some were immediately apparent as false, the details quickly giving them away, but others were close, requiring tailing through the crowd until she'd pegged them as not-it.<p>

"Claudia says he's definitely here," Pete told her as she slipped past the last gaggle of costumed supervillains to lean over his shoulder.

"Yeah, dude was caught on camera in the lobby five minutes ago," the redhead provided, clacking of keys accompanying her disembodied voice. She slid back into view, grabbing the Farnesworth as the chair kept going, spinning around dizzyingly to face it to the computer screen.

"Well, actually there was a whole blockade of them, but there's some exclusive preview thing in one of the ballrooms and they were all headed in that direction," Claudia said, "party's invite only, but one Pete and Myka were just added to the bottom of the list."

"You're awesome Claud," Pete told her, "remind me to buy next time we get ice cream."

"I am totally holding you to that," she replied, "triple scoops on Pete. Tech-girl out." The screen fuzzed gray and Pete turned to face her.

"Ready to crash a party?" he asked, "with luck, we'll pick up this guy, snag the Artifact, and be able to catch dinner before our flight home. Easy as pie."

* * *

><p>"'Easy' you said," Myka called across the room, dodging a executive who seemed intent on braining her with a chair.<p>

Pete made a face, punching another guy in the jaw, "I'm sorry!" he called back.

They had walked in on the room exploding, a rush of people all going haywire and their costumed man standing on the stage with his hands outspread. He was still there, downed by the tesla shot she she'd taken when they first walked in. However, the group of people no longer had anyone directing them and began attacking anything that moved.

The tesla took a few moments between shots, but with that and watching each other's backs, they managed to get across the room and up the stairs to the stage. The people weren't thinking very clearly, as proved by the fact that none of them seemed to realize they were up here.

Reaching a gloved hand into the bucket she carried, she got a few drops of goo to splatter across him. The cape, the boots, the armor all passed without a reaction, but the helmet sparkled. Pete yanked it off the guy's head and dropped it into the bucket she held out. It sparked impressively and the rest of the room dropped to the floor.

They glanced at each other, then did a skip and hop over the bodies to the side door. With a quick look back to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything, Myka slipped through the door Pete was chivalrously holding open.

* * *

><p>Pete flopped back on the couch next to her and she tucked her feet more securely under her to avoid them being sat on. "Why would someone want to do wear something like that?" he asked finally.<p>

She shrugged, twirling a a single curl around one finger as she marked her place and looked up. "People do things and sometimes they don't make sense to us," she replied neutrally.

He turned to face her. "Myks, it made him a megalomaniac. I get liking the armor, it looks really cool, but not at that cost."

She bit back a smile and fought the urge to correct him. The helmet had belonged to an ancient general who had inspired such loyalty in his men that they would follow him wherever he led, and the helmet had the same quality. However, it also held the unfortunate side effect of making the wearer addicted to battle.

"Someday," Myka told him, patting his leg, and opening her book again, "we'll find an Artifact that you can play with without suffering serious side effects."

"I'll put it on my Christmas list," Pete replied.

Myka's laughter rang through the house.

* * *

><p><strong>Still not entirely happy with it, but it's much better than the first draft.<br>**

**20.  
><strong>


	32. Outcome

**Double update! An experiment in second person.  
><strong>

**Outcome  
>They make it a point never to let arguments drag on, with this job, you never know if a mission will be your last.<strong>

* * *

><p>You're fighting, and really it's stupid, but neither of you will give in.<p>

You're trying desperately to hold it together in front of the others, but you think Leena knows (because she can see the auras) and Claudia might know (because she was in foster care and she knows how to spot things like that) and of course Steve knows (because he can always tell when people are lying) and Artie knows (because he's Artie), but no one says anything, so you just keep hissing arguments at each other when you think no one can hear.

But you can't keep up like this and one day when everyone's off doing something, you finally just break. It's loud and it's messy. You're screaming and he's screaming back and then he's throwing up his hands and storming out shouting back that he can't do this anymore. The door slams behind him and you sink onto your bed and stare at the wood, wondering what happened to "us".

You wonder when it all went wrong.

You went from screaming to silent in the space of one fight and now you don't say a word that isn't absolutely necessary and he does the same. It's breaking everyone, but you can't find it in you to forgive him (not yet), not with this still looming over your heads like a sword, poised on a single hair and ready to snap.

Artie gives you a case and tells you to try and get along, hoping perhaps that a change of scenery will help you work this out. You half-hope that the Artifact will affect him and it's something that causes horrible pain.

It doesn't cause pain, but it is held by a gun-wielding suspect who has grown fond of it and seems convinced that the only way to keep it is to put holes in the both of you. Before you know it, the trap has sprung and you have a gun to your head and the Artifact is just right there, but he can't take the shot because you're serving as a shield.

You meet his eyes and everything clarifies, pointless arguments drop away and it's just you and him left. It's always just been you and him, everything else was utterly irrelevant (why did you have to have a gun to your head to see that?)

He distracts the one with the Artifact and lightning arcs out from your hands (a long while ago you marveled at that, but now it's just so commonplace) and the man falls and you're left standing there staring at each other.

And then he's on you, hand threading up your back and the other in your hair and he's kissing you desperately and you're kissing him back like you'll never stop and you can't remember what it was you were fighting about. He's warm and solid all around you and why did you ever push him away because being in his arms feels like _home_.

After a long moment, but not nearly long enough, he pulls away. "We're being stupid," he says hoarsely.

You manage a smile back and only nod because he's stolen your voice (it's not the only thing of yours he got, but that doesn't really count, because you gave him your heart before you even knew it was gone)

He smiles that infectious smile that you've never been able to resist (though you would deny that to the ends of the earth and back) and leans his forehead on yours. "I'm sorry Myks," he whispers .

You punch him (because that's what you do) but only half-heartedly because he's too close to get up any real momentum (or at least, that's what you tell yourself). "You better be," you reply, "but we may as well tell them."

"And if it is against policy?" he asks. That was the major argument you kept raising, pointing out all the technicalities (but the truth is you're scared that acknowledging this, telling someone else, will change what you have).

You laugh and pull him tighter, even though he's already so close you can feel his heartbeat matching yours. "Then we'll deal with it." You know one thing for sure now, and you're not going to lose him. If that means you both have to give up the Warehouse, then so be it, but you're never coming that close to losing him again (which is backward because you were the one with the gun to your head, so close you can still feel the cold metal) over something so inconsequential, because he's just too precious.

* * *

><p><strong>19.<strong>


End file.
